Fire sprinkler and ceiling panel assembly

ABSTRACT

A fire sprinkler and panel ceiling assembly having a panel with a vertical sprinkler head passage therethrough large enough to allow the panel to be tilted with respect to a sprinkler pipe sufficiently to allow the panel to pass downwardly beyond its supporting flanges and over the sprinkler head, and a cover extending around the pipe above the sprinkler head and covering the panel head passage hole, the cover having a removable part to permit its removal from the pipe without the necessity of the removal of the head. 
     A cover, as described, having two identical interfitting sections, each section being formed of one piece of material.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention is in the field of fire sprinkler systems of buildings inwhich a fire sprinkler head is disposed beneath a removable ceilingpanel with the pipe leading to the sprinkler head extending through thepanel.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

In fire extinguishing systems, as described, it has been impossible toremove a panel through which a sprinkler head supporting pipe extends,in most cases, because the hole through the panel is so small that it isnot large enough to permit the panel to be passed downwardly over thesprinkler head.

In such cases, removal of the sprinkler head is impractical, although itwould otherwise be a way to get it out of the way for the removal andreplacement of the panel.

The reason the removal of the sprinkler head is impractical is becausedoing so would cause all the sprinklers in the system to start tosprinkle, damaging furniture and equipment throughout the entirebuilding in many cases.

In order to shut down the sprinkler system, a building management isrequired by the insurance company to take time to notify the firedepartment, particularly the fire alarm company that has instrumentswhich monitor the building in question, as is a nuisance and atime-cost.

However, the biggest nuisance and time-cost is the bother of having toshut down the entire sprinkler system.

Apart from these nuisances, an even more important factor is the dangerinvolved that a fire might break out in the building during the time thesprinkler system is shut down.

The man hours required for draining the system are approximately threeman-hours, in some buildings. The long time involved increases thedanger that a fire will break out while there is no protection from thesystem.

In most locations, an expensive skilled journeyman plumber is required,because of union regulations, to come to unscrew the sprinkler itself,even though such unscrewing could be done by an unskilled person.

Many of these sprinkler systems are installed in highrise buildings, toohigh for the highest fire engine ladder trucks to rescue people from theupper floors, so that personnel sometimes just jump to their deaths fromflaming windows.

Some buildings have as many people working in them as would populate asmall rural town. Although some buildings have ten thousand or morepeople in them at once; buildings having as many as two thousand peoplein them at once are even quite common. Fire protection in such cases isvital.

Sprinkler systems are very valuable because great destruction ofmaterial and life can occur before a fire department can even reach thefire and begin to work on it.

It is to be expected that a building that has a system such as proposedin this invention could conceivably obtain lower insurance rates.

It is common for ceiling panels to need replacement, and it has been themost common practice to destroy the ceiling panel by breaking or cuttingit, or else draining the entire sprinkling system. The replacement of apanel is impossible without shutting down a sprinkler system, also. Forthat reason, sometimes a panel is cut into two parts, and then put inplace. However, the joint between the two parts is then very visible andis a ragged cut edge, most unsightly. It is common practice to have asolid cover disposed between a sprinkler head and a ceiling panel forcovering the hole through the ceiling panel. Such covers are solidrings, and there is no way to remove them from the pipe on which theyare received without removing the sprinkler head itself, as involves thecomplete shutting down of the sprinkler system as described.

Never to my knowledge has there been a two-part cover used above asprinkler head in such a panel system. It is the object of thisinvention to provide a two-part cover, the parts of which can be easilyremoved from one another to get it out of the way, the cover being largeenough to cover a opening through the panel which is itself large enoughto allow the panel to be moved downwardly across the sprinkler headwhile held at an angle to the horizontal.

In the prior art, it has not been uncommon for building management tohave a large hole cut around the outside of the conventional smallone-piece decorative cover in order to allow the panel to be taken down,with the result that thereafter the large hole simply exists in itsunsightly, uncovered state, extending around the small conventionaldecorative cover.

Another prior art practice has been to do the same way as described, butto cover the exposed part of the panel hole which extends around thesmall decorative cover with a flat piece of plastic of "C"-shape, butsimulated ring-shape, having one side split, the plastic being flexibleenough to allow the flat plastic ring to be passed over the pipe anddownwardly against the upper side of the conventional small decorativecover beneath the panel for the purpose of covering the open hole with apiece of plastic; however, such a piece of plastic is thought to be veryunsightly because such a flat disc slides quickly out of place and issoon off-center with respect to the standard decorative cover. However,an additional reason that such plastic discs are considered unsightly isbecause they are usually made of white plastic to go with a white panel,but are necessarily of a different texture from, and usually not ofmatching color with the panel itself.

In the prior art example just described, when such a ring is off center,it is not only unsightly for that reason, but in addition, it usuallyexposes a portion of the hole itself.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A fire sprinkler and panel ceiling assembly having a panel with avertical sprinkler head passage therethrough large enough to allow thepanel to be tilted with respect to a sprinkler pipe sufficiently toallow the panel to pass downwardly beyond its supporting flanges of apanel-supporting framework and over a sprinkler head therebeneathsupported on a pipe extending through the sprinkler head passage in thepanel, and a cover extending around the pipe above the sprinkler headand covering the panel head passage hole, the cover having a removablepart permitting the removal of the cover from said pipe without thenecessity of removal of the head and without the necessity of thepassage of said cover over either said sprinkler head or an opposite endof said pipe at such time as the removal part of the cover has beenremoved.

A further object is to provide a cover construction for use in theposition described having a first part having a main portion with aconcave undersurface and having a pipe reception indentation disposedsubstantially centrally at one side thereof, as seen in bottom planview, for receiving a part of the pipe, the other side of the mainportion having a generally convex edge configuration as seen in bottomplan view, the first part having an offset portion disposed in useposition offset upwardly from the main portion and projecting from theone side thereof on one side of the pipe indentation, the offset portionhaving an edge farthest from the pipe indentation, the farthest edgedescribed being offset toward said indentation from the adjacent part ofthe generally convex edge of the main portion, the cover having a secondpart having a shape describable in the same way as the first part abovedescribed, the two cover parts being disposed their said one sidesopposite each other and with their pipe indentations disposed oppositeeach other, and their concave sides facing upwardly so that theindentations form a pipe opening, the second part having its offsetportion on an opposite side of said pipe opening from the offset portionof the first part, the parts each having a tab disposed on one side ofsaid pipe opening and each having a tab-receiving notch on a side ofsaid pipe opening which is opposite to the tab, said tabs extendingupwardly through the notches of the other cover part respectivelywhereby said cover parts are substantially limited as regards horizontalmovements with respect to each other.

The notches and the tabs snugly fit each other respectively and thewalls of the pipe opening closely fit the pipe whereby the cover partscannot be moved with respect to each other sufficiently to permit thetabs to move horizontally with respect to the walls of their notchesrespectively sufficiently to move out of their notches respectively.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a ceiling panel shown in a cross-sectiontaken directly through the center of a head passage hole therethrough,flange portions of a framework holding opposite edges of the panel beingshown with the cover of this invention beneath the panel supported by asprinkler head attached to a pipe extending through the head passagehole of the panel, an intermediate position of the panel disposed tiltedwith respect to the vertical as shown in dotted lines in a position itis in just before being moved downwardly in the direction of an arrowpast the sprinkler head.

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of a portion of the panel of FIG. 1 showingthe sprinkler head and cover, a portion of the cover being broken awayfor showing the position of the sprinkler head passage hole which isshown partially in full and partially in dotted lines.

FIG. 3 is a view looking upwardly at a ceiling, the portion of theceiling showing some ceiling panels partially and others completely andone with a sprinkler head assembly and cover mounted therebeneath.

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the sprinkler head passage hole cover ofthis invention with certain parts thereof showing in dotted lines.

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of one of the two main identical parts ofthe cover of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a view showing the cover part of FIG. 5 as it would be seenfrom the underneath on the sheet shown, FIG. 6 showing the cover part inan inverted position as compared with the use position of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The fire sprinkler and panel ceiling assembly of this invention isgenerally indicated at 10 in FIG. 1 and comprises a fire sprinkler head20 having a construction of any conventional or other nature forspreading a fire prevention fluid over a wide area in a building, avertical pipe 30 attached to and carrying sprinkler fluid to the head 20is shown thereabove.

A horizontal ceiling panel 40 having a sprinkler head passage 50extending vertically therethrough is shown in horizontal position of usein full lines in FIG. 1.

A panel supporting framework or assembly 70 having a panel opening 90extending vertically therethrough is provided.

The panel supporting assembly 70 has horizontally extendingpanel-engaging flange portions 100 extending under opposite edges of thepanel and supporting the panel and disposed at edges of the panelopening 90 and defining edges of the panel opening 90.

The head passage hole 50 is large enough to permit a tilting of thepanel to the dotted line position 50A of FIG. 1 and to permit a passingof the panel downwardly in the direction of the arrow 26 over the head20 for removal of the panel 40 from the remainder of the assemblywithout a cutting or a breaking of the panel, as has so often been donein the prior art.

This invention provides a panel hole cover generally indicated at 120 inFIG. 1 having a pipe-receiving opening therethrough receiving the pipe30, the size of the cover 120 being sufficiently large as measured in ahorizontal plane as to substantially cover the head passage hole 50 ofthe panel as seen from therebeneath, except for the portion of thepipe-receiving opening 50 which is occupied by the pipe 30 itself.

The cover 120 having a plurality of separate parts, and moreparticularly two separate and identical parts generally indicated at 200and 202 in FIG. 4.

The panel hole cover of this invention is shown in FIG. 2 to have twoseparate parts 200 and 202, shown in detail in FIG. 4, the two parts orsections 200 and 202 being identical, whereby the one part shown at 200in FIG. 5 illustrates the detail of construction of both parts. At thetime the two parts are first made by stamping and before a second stepabout to be described herein, the two parts look as they do in FIG. 5,each having a main portion 220 in the shape of half of a circle on anouter edge 222 and in the shape of half of a smaller diametered circlealong an edge 226 of a semi-circular opening 130, earlier mentioned.

Each main portion 220 joins an offset portion 236, which latter, in topview, has an outer edge 238 which is inset inwardly a slight distancefrom the edge 222 so as to fit closely against the inner side of theother half section 202 of the cover 120. The offset portion 236, as bestseen in FIG. 6, is disposed parallel to and immediately beneath theremaining attached main portion 220 so as to be received snugly againstthe underside of the opposite cover section 202 after assembly.

The main portion 220 of the cover section 200 can be seen to have aplanar upper portion 242 which latter is horizontal in use, a verticalouter edge portion 244 which is semi-cylindrical in shape extendingabout a vertical axis 246, and a circular ring-shaped portion 246 whichinterconnects the portions 242 and 244 and is of one piece of materialtherewith.

The lower edge of the inner side of the portion 246 makes asemi-circular line 248, visible in FIG. 6.

The offset portion 236 has a upper portion 254 which is disposedhorizontal and has an upper surface disposed immediately below or in thesame plane with the lower surface of the planar upper portion 242.

The portion 254 is connected to and of one piece with a downwardly andoutwardly inclining portion 256 which is parallel to and disposedimmediately below the portion 246.

The entire offset portion 236 is substantially of a wedge-shape,narrower toward the axis 246 and has a notch 270 disposed in its sidewhich is closest to and joining the main section 220, the notch can beas small as an eighth of an inch across, as measured at a right angle tothe straight edge 272, or rather straight edges 272, of the two parts ofthe inner side of the main portion 220 which are disposed innermost asregards the total cover 120 and which are adapted to be disposedadjacent corresponding edges 272 of the opposite panel cover section202. The edges 272 are disposed on each side of the panel opening 130for receiving the pipe 30.

The notch 270 can be of a very small depth, such as one-eighth of aninch or less, and is adapted to receive a tab 300 formed from the samepiece of material as the remainder of the cover section 300 and formedby the provision of a slit 310 extending into the horizontal upperportion 242 from the cover pipe opening 130. The slit 310 extendsparallel to the edge 272 to which it is adjacent and is spaced therefroma distance of one-eighth of an inch, approximately.

The purpose of the tab 300 is so that when it is bent downwardly fromthe position shown in FIG. 5 so that its outer end extends vertically inthe position shown in FIG. 6, the tab can be received between the wallsof the notch 270 of the opposite half section 202 of the total cover 120when the two parts 200 and 202 of the cover 120 are assembled, as shownin FIG. 4, in which it is to be seen that a tab 300 of the part 202 isextending downwardly on the left-hand side of the total cover 120through a notch 270 of the cover part 200.

In FIG. 4 on the right side, the tab 300 of the cover part 200 is shownextending downwardly into the notch 270 of the cover part 202.

In FIG. 4, the inner wall 350 of each cover part 200 or 202 can be seenin dotted lines.

Also in FIG. 4 an ornamental crevice or groove 370 can be seen in thetop side of the cover 200 and it is of a small depth and is for thepurpose of appearance only and has no function, being for cooperation inappearance with the joinder line 400 of the two parts 200 and 202 so asto give a criss-cross line appearance instead of a single lineappearance.

The other cover part 202 also has a ornamental crevice 370.

Throughout this application identical parts or portions of the two coverparts 200 and 202 will be given identical numbers.

As thus described, it can be seen that the cover has a plurality ofseparate parts 200 and 202 specifically, so that the cover 120 can beremoved from the pipe by movements of the parts of the cover withouttaking the cover endwise across either the head 20 or the pipe 30.

As best understood from FIG. 4, it will be seen that to remove the coverall one needs to do is to push the panel 40 upwardly a very shortdistance allowiing, for example, the right-hand side of the cover part200 to be moved downwardly (recognizing that FIG. 4 is looking at thecover from the bottom) while at the same time causing the opposite endof the cover part 200 to move upwardly, in other words, a twistingmotion with respect to the cover part 202. Such a motion will disengageboth of the tabs from their respective openings. If desired, both partsof the cover 200 and 202 can be twisted simultaneously with respect toeach other and with respect to the pipe in substantially the mannerdescribed and for removing the tabs from the openings.

The farthest edges 238 of each of the offset portions are each disposedclose enough to the certain upper terminal edge portion 500 of the otherpart respectively as to cooperate with the depth of the notches 270 andwith the thickness of the tabs 300 so as to prevent the parts 200 and202 from coming apart by mere horizontal movement.

For the latter to be possible, the main portion of each part 200 or 202has a certain upper terminal edge portion 500 which is disposed oppositeto the farthest edge portion 238 of the offset portion 236 of which itis a part, the certain terminal edge portion being disposed transverselyto each of the offset portions 236, and preferably being disposedvertically in a vertical segment of a vertical cylinder with its axis at246.

I claim:
 1. A fire sprinkler and panel ceiling assembly comprising: afire sprinkler head having a construction for spreading a fireprevention fluid over a wide area, a vertical pipe attached to andcarrying said fluid to said head, a horizontal ceiling panel having ahead passage extending vertically therethrough, a panel supportingassembly having a panel opening extending generally verticallytherethrough, said supporting assembly having panel-engaging portionsextending under edges of said panel and supporting said panel anddisposed at edges of said panel opening, and said head passage holebeing large enough to permit a tilting and a rotating of said panel withrespect to said panel opening and a passing of said panel down over saidhead for removal of said panel from the remainder of said assembly, anda panel hole cover having a perforation therethrough receiving said pipeand of a size as measured in a horizontal plane which latter size islarge enough to substantially cover said head passage hole as seen fromtherebeneath except for the portion of said perforation occupied by saidpipe, said cover having a plurality of separable parts so that saidcover can be removed from said pipe by movements of certain parts ofsaid cover in directions laterally of said vertical pipe, disconnectablemeans holding said cover parts together in a manner permittingsufficient separation of said cover parts for removing said cover fromsaid pipe in directions other than vertically off of an upper portion ofsaid pipe; said cover comprising a first part having a main portionhaving a concave undersurface and having a pipe reception indentationdisposed substantially centrally of one side thereof as seen in bottomplan view for receiving a part of said pipe, the other side of said mainportion having a generally convex edge configuration as seen in bottomplan view, said first part having an offset portion disposed in useposition offset upwardly from said main portion and projecting from saidone side thereof on one side of said pipe indentation, said offsetportion having an edge farthest from said pipe indentation, saidfarthest edge being offset toward said indentation from the adjacentpart of the said generally convex edge of said main portion, said coverhaving a second part having a shape describable in the same way saidfirst part is above described, said two cover parts being disposed withtheir said one sides adjacent each other and their pipe indentationsadjacent each other, and their concave sides both facing upwardly sothat said indentations from a pipe opening, said second part having itsoffset portion on an opposite side of said pipe opening from the saidoffset portion of said first part, said parts each having a tab attachedthereto and disposed on one side of said pipe opening and each having atab-receiving notch on a side of said pipe opening which is opposite tosaid tab, said tabs extending downwardly through said notchesrespectively whereby said cover parts are substantially limited asregards horizontal movements with respect to each other.
 2. The firesprinkler and ceiling panel assembly of claim 1 in which said notchesand tabs snugly fit each other respectively.
 3. The fire sprinkler andceiling panel assembly of claim 3 in which the walls of said pipeopening closely fit said pipe.
 4. The fire sprinkler and ceiling panelassembly of claim 1 in which the said perforation is substantially equalto the diameter of said pipe to closely fit said pipe.
 5. The firesprinkler and ceiling panel assembly of claim 1, said cover being upheldby engagement of its parts with said head.
 6. A cover for a ceilingpanel fire sprinkler pipe hole, said cover comprising a first parthaving a main portion having a concave undersurface and having a pipereception indentation disposed substantially centrally of one sidethereof as seen in bottom plan view for receiving a part of a verticalpipe, the other side of said main portion having a generally convex edgeconfiguration as seen in bottom plan view, said first part having anoffset portion disposed in use position offset upwardly from said mainportion and projecting from said one side thereof on one side of saidpipe indentation, said offset portion having an edge farthest from saidpipe indentation, said farthest edge being offset toward saidindentation from the adjacent part of the said generally convex edge ofsaid main portion, said cover having a second part having a shapedescribable in the same way said first part is above described, said twocover parts being disposed with their said one sides adjacent each otherand their pipe indentations opposite each other, and their concave sidesboth facing upwardly so that said indentations form a pipe opening, saidsecond part having its offset portion on an opposite side of said pipeopening from the said offset portion of said first part, said parts eachhaving a tab attached thereto and disposed on one side of said pipeopening and each having a tab-receiving notch on a side of said pipeopening which is opposite to said tab, said tabs extending upwardlythrough said notches respectively whereby said cover parts aresubstantially limited as regards horizontal movements with respect toeach other.
 7. The fire sprinkler and ceiling panel assembly of claim 7,said notches and tabs sufficiently snugly fitting each otherrespectively and the walls of said pipe opening sufficiently closelyfitting said pipe that said covers cannot be moved in a manner forcausing said tabs to move horizontally outwardly of the respectivenotches in which they are received.